“ME!” Kids like to do things themselves, and when it comes time to getting dressed, your kid’s help can really hurt. As parents, we like to encourage independence even if we don’t always agree with the resulting fashion choices. A simple costume change that can take you a minute can take your child an eternity. Around potty time, a tricky outfit change can end in disaster. During this delicate phase, onesies give way to shirts than can be pulled over the head in a flash. Overalls and pants that snap at the bottom are replaced with pants that can be pulled up and down in a hurry. But . . . what can be pulled up and down easily can often fall down. Don’t let droopy drawers trip up your toddler–Myself Belts let kids regain control.

Invented by two sisters born and raised in Rhode Island, Myself Belts enable kids to use a belt without help. Talia Bahr Goldfarb and Danielle Bahr Eason were inspired to create the Myself Belt when Talia’s son learned how to use the potty but couldn’t keep his pants up. Talia and Danielle were propelled to find a solution. The Myself Belt snaps around one belt loop in the front of a pair of pants, and is threaded through the rest of the loops like a regular belt. To reinforce independence, these steps can be done before your child puts his or her pants on. Your child can fasten the Myself Belt using the long piece of Velcro on the end of the belt.

Our four-year-old tester enjoyed his camouflage pattern Myself Belt. A huge believer in the mantra of “I Can Do It,” our tester was thrilled to have a belt that he could put on himself. Our tester’s mom was thrilled to have one less struggle in her day, and she appreciated the extra bit of time that her son’s independence added to her schedule. Our tester is a huge fan of belts, but most belts seem designed to frustrate those with little hands and little patience for their intricate buckles and clasps. This belt gave our tester’s hands no problems. The size that we ordered was a little too big and we wish there was more adjustability in the size. If there were a few more snaps along the length of the belt, the belt could grow with the child and ensure a better fit. To get a better fit for our tester, we applied a little more Velcro ourselves.

Myself Belts are available in twenty-three different styles, for girls and boys or gender neutral, and in a variety of sizes from 2T and up. The belts are about one inch wide and are guaranteed to dress up the plainest pants, whether you choose a classic leather belt, a metallic pink with cut-out hearts, or embroidered trucks. I especially love how the ends of the belt cross in the front. Myself Belts are not a cure-all since their design requires pants with belt loops and many toddler pants lack this key design feature. But belt loops might become a new fashion requirement for toddlers if your kid’s pants are consistently too low-rise and you don’t want your kid to be a low-rider.

Special Discount for Kidoinfo Readers! The code KIDOINFO will give readers a 10% savings when ordering through www.myselfbelts.com – PLUSÂ free shipping special with an order of 2 or more belts. The coupon code will expire on 4/30/08.

Anisa Raoof is the publisher of Kidoinfo.com. She combines being a mom with her experience as an artist, designer, psych researcher and former co-director of the Providence Craft Show to create the go-to spot for families in Rhode Island and beyond. She loves using social media to connect parents with family-related businesses and services and promoting ways for parents to engage offline with their kids.
Anisa believes in the power of working together and loves to find ways to collaborate with others. An online enthusiast, still likes to unplug often by reading books and magazines, drawing, learning to knit, making pop-up books with her two sons and listening to records with her husband.